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FOR
IMMEDIATE RELEASE: June 7, 2004
| Contact: |
Jennifer Johnson, Outreach Specialist (360) 754-4111 |
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Patrick Soderberg, Hazardous Waste Specialist (360) 754-4111 |
Marinas
Protect Water Quality
OLYMPIA – Over 3,000 pounds of hazardous
materials were kept out of Puget Sound since last fall because four local
marinas and Thurston County provided a special collection program for local
boaters. Marina managers at
Boston Harbor, Swantown, West Bay and Zittels hosted hazardous waste
collection bins for their customers and Thurston County provided the bins,
advertisement, and waste recycling or disposal.
The collection pilot project began last October and just ended on June
1.
About two-thirds of the hazardous material that
was collected was recycled or reused. The success of this pilot project
inspired three of the four marinas to continue offering hazardous waste
collection bins as a service to their tenants.
“This is a service we are happy to provide to our customers. We have been surprised at the amount of waste that we are
collecting and want to continue,” said Bruce Marshall from Swantown Marina,
located along Olympia’s Budd Inlet.
Marina customers at West Bay, Zittels and
Swantown can continue to place wastes such as oil-based paint, harsh cleaners,
oil, and contaminated engine fluids in the collection bins located at these
marinas. Tenants should ask the
marina office for a key to unlock the bins.
Instructions in the bins explain how to safely pack the material.
Ultimately, the wastes are transported to HazoHouse, the county’s
hazardous waste collection facility located at the Thurston County Waste and
Recovery Center.
Waste from recreational boaters is eligible for
the marina collection bins. Commercial
vessel operators may call 786-5457 for information on disposing of their
wastes. If you are unsure if a
material is considered hazardous, look for a signal word on the label.
Words such as, “Caution,” “Warning,” “Danger,” or
“Poison,” indicate that the item is considered hazardous and cannot go
into your regular trash. The
absence of a signal word usually indicates that a product is not hazardous.
Thurston County residents that have boats at
other sites can take their boat wastes and other household hazardous wastes,
free, to HazoHouse at the Thurston County Waste and Recovery Center, located
off Interstate 5 at exit 111. HazoHouse
is open Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday from 8 to 5. For more information, call 360-786-5494 or the TDD line
754-2933. For more information on
the marina campaign, contact 360-754-4111, or check the website at www.co.thurston.wa.us/wwm.
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